What's On TV Tonight - Friday, 31 October 2025 (Halloween)

What's On TV Tonight: Halloween Friday By Sarah Mitchell | Updated 31 Oct 2025, 5:00 PM

Halloween on a Friday? Broadcasters have absolutely gone for it. Here's what's worth watching tonight, from family-friendly witches at 6:30pm to proper late-night horror that'll mess with your sleep.

Quick Picks: Tonight's Best

• Best for families: Hocus Pocus, BBC One, 6:30pm
• Don't miss: A Quiet Place ⭐, BBC One, 9pm (first time on terrestrial TV)
• If you want a marathon: Channel 5's all-night horror fest starting 7pm
• Not into horror?: The Real History of Halloween, BBC Two, 9pm

Early Evening: Family Viewing (6:30pm - 8pm)

Hocus Pocus - BBC One, 6:30pm

The Sanderson Sisters are back for their annual Halloween outing. If you've somehow never seen this, three 17th-century witches accidentally get resurrected in 1990s Salem and chaos ensues. Bette Midler chewing scenery, a talking cat, and "I Put a Spell on You" - it's essentially perfect Halloween viewing for kids.

Is it scary? Not really. The witches are more silly than sinister, though younger kids (under 7) might find a few scenes creepy. Suitable for pretty much the whole family.

Ghostbusters - Channel 5, 7pm

Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and the gang saving New York from ghosts. If your kids are too young for actual horror but old enough to be bored by Hocus Pocus, this hits the sweet spot. Plus, that theme tune slaps.

Prime Time Horror (9pm onwards)

A Quiet Place - BBC One, 9pm ⭐

This is the one to watch tonight. First terrestrial showing of John Krasinski's brilliant 2018 thriller where a family must stay completely silent to avoid monsters that hunt by sound.

Why it's excellent: It's essentially a 90-minute masterclass in tension. The nearly dialogue-free storytelling means every creak, every footstep, every breath matters. Emily Blunt is phenomenal, especially in a childbirth scene that had me holding my breath in the cinema.

Fair warning: It's rated 15 for good reason. Not gory, but incredibly intense. The opening 10 minutes are rough if you have kids.

The Mummy - ITV1, 8pm

Brendan Fraser being charming while fighting a resurrected Egyptian priest. Look, it's not high art, but it's massively entertaining. The 1999 effects somehow still hold up, Rachel Weisz and Fraser have great chemistry, and it's scary enough to feel Halloween-appropriate without being actually frightening.

Perfect if you want Halloween vibes without genuine horror.

The Craft - Channel 4, 9pm

Teen witches! '90s goth aesthetic! Fairuza Balk going absolutely mental!

This 1996 film about high school outcasts who discover real witchcraft is properly entertaining. It takes teenage problems seriously (bullying, abuse, feeling powerless) while delivering solid supernatural thrills. If you haven't seen it since you were a teenager yourself, it's worth revisiting.

The Conjuring - Channel 5, 9pm

James Wan's 2013 haunted house film about paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. It's "based on a true story" (take that with a massive pinch of salt), but it delivers proper scares. Old-school creepy rather than torture porn - doors opening, things moving, figures in shadows.

If you're after traditional horror done really well, this is your best bet tonight.

Late Night: For Hardcore Horror Fans

28 Days Later - ITV1, 10:15pm

Danny Boyle's 2002 zombie (well, infected) masterpiece. Bicycle courier wakes from a coma to find London deserted and most people turned into rage-fueled maniacs.

The opening sequence of empty London is still haunting. But honestly? The scariest bits aren't the infected - it's what the human survivors do to each other. Properly disturbing, rated 18 for very good reasons.

It Follows - Channel 4, 11pm

The concept: After sleeping with someone, a teenager gets cursed. An entity will slowly walk toward her forever. It can look like anyone. If it reaches her, she dies.

This 2014 indie horror is brilliant if you're into slow-burn psychological dread rather than jump scares. Genuinely unnerving rather than traditionally scary. The 1980s-ish aesthetic and synth soundtrack are chef's kiss.

Sinister - Channel 5, 11:30pm

Ethan Hawke finds disturbing home movies in his attic. Things get very dark very quickly. This one properly unsettled me - it's nasty in ways that stick with you. Watch at your own risk.

If You're Not Into Horror

The Real History of Halloween - BBC Two, 9pm

Documentary covering Halloween's journey from Celtic Samhain festival to modern commercialized madness. Actually quite fascinating if you're curious about why we're all dressing up and eating sweets tonight.

What's on Streaming

Netflix: Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein drops today. Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, del Toro's signature Gothic visual style. If you want beautiful, thoughtful horror-adjacent cinema rather than cheap scares.

Disney+: The Haunted Mansion (2023) - LaKeith Stanfield in the recent theme park adaptation. Family-friendly spooky fun, nothing too scary.

Apple TV+: Salem's Awakening (new series) - Emma Stone in a supernatural drama about modern-day Salem. Early reviews are solid.

The Viewing Schedule Table

Final Verdict

A Quiet Place at 9pm on BBC One is the night's must-watch. It's innovative, terrifying, and Emily Blunt's performance is outstanding. If you're doing family viewing earlier, Hocus Pocus remains undefeated as Halloween comfort viewing.

For the hardcore horror fans planning an all-nighter: start with The Conjuring at 9pm, move to 28 Days Later at 10:15pm, then either It Follows or Sinister depending on whether you want psychological dread or nasty jump scares.

Whatever you're watching tonight - happy Halloween! 🎃

All times GMT. Film ratings noted for guidance. Check BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 Streaming, and My5 for catch-up viewing if you miss anything.